


Phoenix Falling

by Goldendoodlegamer11, willowcat33



Series: Phönix [2]
Category: Escape the Night (Web Series), EtN RP
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, Cliffhangers, Death, Duel Book, Electrocution, Game Night, Gen, Go check out her half of the story!!, Hurt, I know I KNOW, I'm being BULLIED, Jumanji is referenced like seven different times, Kill Yourself Or Kill Your Friend, One-Half of Tegan's book, Revenge, There were no actual hard feeling hah, Yatzee!, based off an rp, death challenges
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-07-23 22:40:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20015941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goldendoodlegamer11/pseuds/Goldendoodlegamer11, https://archiveofourown.org/users/willowcat33/pseuds/willowcat33
Summary: "You killed her!" Tegan sobs. "Why would you do that!?""I didn't mean to!"Tegan practically shoves the artifact into her chest and stomps upstairs. Almost everyone gives her dirty looks as they pass. What did I just get myself into?-Dawson's been invited to the party of the century - literally. And it starts off just fine, that is until the doors are locked and they start getting killed off. And one false vote sends her into a whole world of trouble that might just end up with her dead.





	Phoenix Falling

**Author's Note:**

> To put it another way - I accidentally kill Birdy, and in turn Tegan kills me.  
> -  
> Hello! So this is based off of an Escape the Night rp that I and Tegan ended up doing and I don't normally make fics based on rps, but this was so dramatic and intense that me and her decided to make duel books, one from my POV, and one of hers!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The clap that started the avalanche.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know what you're thinking; "This is part of a roleplay?" And yes it sure is, but that shouldn't stop it from being just as emotional as canon! Seriously - buckle up folks it's gonna be a bumpy ride- enjoy!

Dawson feels like she's been cursed. So far, nearly everyone she's voted for in a challenge has died, or at the very least gone in. She voted Mario twice, which allowed for The Emo to be stabbed and killed by one of the knights in the western tower; She voted for Rea in the second challenge, which prompted her decision to kill off Nathan, their only true Sleuth; Her vote for Alex sent him and Gracie, her now-dead ally, into a challenge. There's not many of them left.

Dawson thumbs her own tarot card, biting her tongue. She puts it back.

She’s honestly not sure why she votes for Birdy. The Philosopher is easily one of the smartest guests there; she’s sweet, smart, and has been a never-ending support system for Dawson and the others. She’s mostly kept her head through all of the death, the puzzles, and the crazy scary home-owners trying to kill them.

_So why am I voting for her?_

Maybe it’s because she’s mentally and physically exhausted, she’s scared, and she just wants to go home and have a bubble bath and watch her favorite TV shows and never talk about this night again. Maybe it’s because she can’t think of anyone else to vote in. Maybe it’s because she and Space decided to vote in Birdy and Tegan respectively. 

But she’s already written the name and given it to Zora, and she’s sat back down.

Dawson’s been through thick and thin with the Mediator and the Philosopher. She just hopes neither of them are chosen for the death challenge, and she’ll never have to bring up the fact she voted for them ever again.

“The first person going into the challenge is….”

_Please not me, please not Space, please not Alex -_

“Birdy, The Philosopher.”

_“ What!?”_ Tegan explodes from the side. _“No!_ ” 

“Who voted for her?” Alex asks, near-demands. Dawson ducks her head, clearing her throat awkwardly. Alex's gaze scan over her, prompting her to wince, but then he's looked away. 

“The second person going into the challenge is…”

Tegan looks ready to burst into tears. “You know,” Rea claims from her side on the couch. “We wouldn’t even be in this situation -”

“I know! If it wasn’t for me,” Alex groaned. Dawson pouted slightly. She knew Rea had been suspicious of Alex from the beginning when they first learned that all but three of them would have to die. (“It’s his house!” and “I don’t trust this Savant AT ALL”) but this doesn’t seem like the best time for this.

“Tegan, the Mediator.”

The penny-brown haired girl claps her hand over her mouth, tears threatening to spill over her eyes. 

“Birdy, please pick a partner,” Zora says, emotionless. Her stormy grey eyes portray regret, but then there's a flicker, and it's gone.

The girl scans the group of guests, and her eyes land on The Paleontologist. “Uh, Dawson - care to lend a hand?”

(She and Space would’ve burst out laughing if the atmosphere wasn’t so serious) Instead she nods firmly and takes her hand. “I’ll try my best.”

“Tegan, pick a partner.”

“Space? Do _you_ care to lend a hand?” The Pacifist looks three seconds away from screaming, but he smiles crookedly. “Uh, yeah! Sure!” And he takes her hand. 

Zora guides them down to the electric room. The strawberry-blonde haired girl already misses their underground lounge. 

As they do, Tegan tackles her friend into a blubbering hug, whispering apologizes into the other guest’s shoulder. Broken myriads of crackled German and English mix together inside hundreds of muffled apologizes. Birdy, ever the calmer of the two, has on a grim smile. 

“Not your fault,” Dawson catches her saying back.

Rea’s eyes flicker dangerously. “You know what? I’m staying back - I don’t trust him, I’m staying back.” Alex groans, adjusting his black-terracotta golden tuxedo and walking away. “Fine, just let her stay.” 

“That’s the first smart decision you’ve made all night Alex!” She calls after them. “All! Night!”

They move from their newer basement lounge towards the electric chairs. Zora opens the door, and they crackle to life, whirring with gears. The room is dense and humid, with a dark murky red-brown colour. A spark shoots out one of the chairs. Dawson yelps and backs up behind Space, who tenses. Both partners are hooked up to the machines, and their silvery-blue haired helper picks up a manilla note and reads it out loud:

_“You will both answer riddles._

_Those who get the wrong answer_

_Will have their partner fry alive,_

_While the other will get a peg that_

_Will shut down part of the machine,_

_Saving their partner’s life and dooming the other’s._

_First to five wins.”_

Dawson huddles into herself, shivering despite the warm room. “You’re good at riddles, right Daw?” Her partner asks. She’s smiling - _why is she smiling?_ \- but Dawson nods. “Yeah - I totally got this!”

Meanwhile, Alex is ushered over to a small “safety box” where he can watch but not be affected. He flashes them a thumbs up. 

The riddles start. 

And they’re hard. Complicated. Space is lightning-quick on the draw, and she can’t keep up with him. She gets Cornucopia as an answer easily enough (“Man, love not being American,” Space jokes. “Boy I’m _Canadian!_ ” She shoots back, smiling crookedly.) but he’s gotten a huge head-start. She holds her head, praying that she can do this. 

She has to.

-

_“And hey, would you hold my hand…._

_Carry me through No Man’s Land.._ _  
_

_But I would fight for you_

_If you would fight for me…”_

It’s a soft, overwhelming serenadious harmony the two sing as they sit there, being fried alive by their traps. Dawson almost just wants to stop her task and listen, be soothed.

But she can’t.

She has to keep fighting.

-

It’s the last riddle. Both guests are tied at 4-4. Whoever gets the next one will doom the other to death. Zora clears her throat. The small glimpse of regret that was previously in her eyes is now replaced with an emotionless unfeeling mask. 

"The final and tiebreaker riddle is as follows;

_Riddle 8: I contain water but I’m not a bottle_

_I can be used to make milk but I’m not a cow_

_I’m white on the inside but I’m not a loaf of bread_

_I have a husk but I’m not a head of corn_

_I have a hard shell but I’m not an egg_

_I’m brown and hairy on the outside but I’m not a dog"_

Hard shell, husk - lobster? She almost snorts. _‘I can be used to make milk’...yeah, lobster._ She thinks, but there’s a block. She looks to Tegan; the brunette is crying harder now, muttering broken apologizes into her hands. 

“Coconut!” Space hollars. _Coconut! You idiot - you should’ve known! You’ve literally drank from a coconut before!_

_Ohmygod, he won._ It sinks in. _He won._

_“No!”_ Dawson exclaims loudly as Space launches to Tegan’s side, placing the peg into the side and effectively shutting the machine down. Zora nods gently.

Birdy turns to her partner, and mouths something.

_“Take care of Tegan for me.”_

And the machine explodes in electricity. 

-

She doesn’t look up until it’s over. Until Birdy’s done screaming and the life in her is long gone. Until everyone’s stopped sobbing and the basement’s returned to its normal colour. Until Tegan’s blur of English and German screaming has stopped and slid into tears.

She says it over and over again; “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she feels weak and falls to her knees, feeling ready to pass out.

She spares a glance.

The poor Philosopher is face-up, one hand out in a desperate plea to be let out. Burn marks make her almost unrecognizable, her head tilted back and hair out.

The confines on Tegan’s chair fall. She leans over dizzily.

“ _Who._ _Voted for Birdy._ ” It’s not a question. It’s a stone cold statement, ready to tear to shreds whoever would have dared to put her best friend into the challenge.

“I’m sorry,” is all she can say through tears. She’s sank to her knees hard now, covering her head with her hands like that’ll stop the panic that’s forcing its way through her system and threatening to tear her apart. 

This is the wrong thing to say.

“Dawson...did you vote for Birdy?” Tegan’s broken expression burns her gaze, and she realizes that her _I’m sorry_ got taken differently -

She can’t lie. 

“I-I didn’t mean to-”

Tears spill over her eyes, blurring her vision. Alex has emerged from the box now, looking down at her like she’s just shocked him. “You killed her-”

“You! We - we had an alli-” Her gaze shakes at all the adrenaline, and Tegan slams her fist down onto her side of the chair. _“You killed my best friend!!!”_

Apologizes and stupid excuses tumble out her mouth, hoping something will stick. Dawson can’t even look up at them. _This is so stupid why did I do that I wanted to save her I’m so sorry -_

Space, poor soul, is trying so hard to change the topic, although tears also sit at the corners of his eyes. “Who did you vote for, Tegan?”

_“ I VOTED FOR MYSELF!_ ” She sobs, falling from her chair onto the floor. Space helps her up, and pools fall from her chin onto her outfit. She sniffles angrily, eyes burning hungrily, and they land on Dawson.

“You wanted her _dead,_ didn’t you!?” She screams accusingly. Dawson can’t possibly think what she wants to say.

“No, I didn’t, I swear-” She tries to stand up. By now they’ve gotten the artifact, which glows, rumbling like thunder. 

_“Why would you do that!?”_

Tegan practically shoves the artifact into her chest and storms upstairs. Alex gives her a dirty look as he follows. 

_What did I just get myself into..?_

_-_

They return. Dark thunder shakes the atmosphere as rain patters outside. The whole lounge would be so incredibly cozy if five people were not dead. Tegan rips the artifact out of Dawson’s hands and slams it onto the mantle, still storming.

“Not a word,” She tells her off, glaring.

She huffs onto the couch, angry tears gone, now replaced with a smoldering fire, crackling with revenge-filled embers that would give a volcano the chills. 

“So, who did Alex ruin this time?” Rea teases, but the tense atmosphere tells her now isn’t the time. 

“It’s not him who ruined somebody,” Tegan states coldly.

Dawson wouldn’t mind being swallowed up by the floor and disappearing right about now. She opens her mouth, and Tegan’s nose wrinkles. “Don’t you _dare,_ ” She snarls lowly. “talk to me.”

The youngest guest hugs a pillow to her chest.

_I deserve that...I just hope that whatever’s next we can work together as a team._

Somehow, she doesn’t think that’ll be the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, go check out Tegan's part!! It is awesome and will give you a whole new perspective of the story being told! 
> 
> Next Chapter: Everyone's turned against her, but hopefully she'll be able to move past it and help solve puzzles, and everything will go back to normal...right?


End file.
